Baked Buffalo Cauliflower

Buffalo cauliflower is served on a black plate with celery and blue cheese dip.

No frying is needed to make this boldly flavored buffalo cauliflower! Just roast, add sauce, broil, and pair with a creamy blue cheese dip for a delicious crowd pleaser everyone will love.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 215kcal

Author Vered DeLeeuw

Ingredients

Blue Cheese Dressing:

⅓ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons blue cheese crumbled

Buffalo Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup hot sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Buffalo cauliflower:

1 pound cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons olive oil extra-virgin
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed, broiler-safe baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. You can also use broiler-safe parchment paper.
Make the blue cheese dressing by mixing its ingredients (sour cream, mayonnaise, salt, garlic powder, and blue cheese crumbles) in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the buffalo sauce: In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Whisk in the hot sauce and garlic powder. Set aside.
In another large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with the olive oil, salt, and garlic powder. Spread on the baking sheet and roast until tender-crisp, about 15 minutes.
Switch the oven to broil and set an oven rack 6 inches below the heating element (not directly below).
Whisk the hot sauce mixture again. Add the roasted cauliflower florets and toss to coat. Return the cauliflower florets to the baking sheet and broil them until browned, keeping a close eye on them so they don't burn, 2-3 minutes.
Serve immediately with the blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.

Video

Notes

It's best to use large cauliflower florets and roast them for a short time at a high temperature. This helps the cauliflower retain some crispiness. Otherwise, it can turn mushy. Still delicious, but mushy.
Having said that, we're not going for crispy here - we're going for delicious. Don't worry, even though the cauliflower is not crispy, it's incredibly good and in fact addictive - I meant to taste just one before photographing and had a hard time stopping!
You can keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the cooled leftovers for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating. Reheat the leftovers uncovered in a 400°F oven for about 10 minutes or until heated through. Don't reheat them in the microwave, or they will be soggy. This dish improves after oven reheating. It's not as saucy, as its texture becomes drier, but the sauce is further baked into the cauliflower and its flavor becomes more pronounced.

Nutrition